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Trying to write a function that returns another function, but Racket says my lambda is not a function definition?


Programming in racket, I am trying to write a function that takes a single integer, and returns a function that increments that integer by another integer. For example:

((incnth 5) 3) --> 8

((incnth 3) -1) --> 2

Unfortunately I don't seem to understand lambda functions still, because my code keeps saying that my lambda is not a function definition. Here is what I wrote.

(define (incnth n)
  (lambda (f) (lambda (x) (+ n x))))

Solution

  • You have one more lambda than it's needed. If I understand correctly, the idea is to have a procedure that creates procedures that increment a number with a given number. So you should do this:

    (define (incnth n) ; this is a procedure
      (lambda (x) (+ n x))) ; that returns a lambda
    

    The returned lambda will "remember" the n value:

    (define inc2 (incnth 2))
    

    And the resulting procedure can be used as usual, with the expected results:

    (inc2 40)
    => 42
    ((incnth 5) 3)
    => 8
    ((incnth 3) -1)
    => 2